UN Security Council refers Palestine’s full membership bid to committee
After putting its initial bid for full UN membership on hold in 2011, in the face of a US veto that would derail the process – Palestine has asked the UNSC to reconsider its application.
“All we ask is to take our rightful place among the community of nations. To be treated as equals. Equals to other nations and states,” Palestine’s UN ambassador Riyad Mansour told the council on Monday.
Council members agreed to reconsider the State of Palestine’s application, putting it one step closer to full UN membership.
Australia hints at formally recognising Palestinian state
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said such a move could restart the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis and undermine “extremism” in the Middle East.
“Recognising a Palestinian state – one that can only exist side by side with a secure Israel – doesn’t just offer the Palestinian people an opportunity to realise their aspirations”, she told a crowd in Canberra, according to AFP. “It also strengthens the forces for peace, and undermines extremism. It undermines Hamas, Iran and Iran’s other destructive proxies in the region,” Wong said.
“The failures of this approach by all parties over decades – as well as the Netanyahu government’s refusal to even engage on the question of a Palestinian state – have caused widespread frustration.”
Her comments come after a number of countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia and Spain have also floated the idea of recognising a Palestinian state.
The US will likely still use their Veto.
